Nathaniel Harrison: A Man Less Remembered

This week, our journey into local history is slowing down to appreciate the littler things! We’re stopped on the southern shore of Harrison’s Bay to bask in the evening sun’s glow. Like so many other places around the lake, the shoreline is dotted with wooden docks and small boats. Most are rowboats but some are small, single cylinder, gasoline launches.

In 1855, Nathaniel Harrison settled a large tract of land on the shore of the bay that would later carry his namesake. Harrison was also a prominent boatbuilder who’s best known for building some of the lake’s fastest steamboats. One such boat was the May Queen, which we did a full length video on some time ago. Unfortunately, it seems that no known photos of Harrison survive to the 21st century, as is often the case with figures from the mid 19th century. He is survived, however, by the name of the bay he once called home.

Today, the bay is known for accommodating anyone who has interest in skiing, wakeboarding, or just tossing anchor to enjoy relaxing on the waves. It also is a frequently overlooked bay, given its narrow shape. Despite this, many grand homes stand here and the bay features some unique landmarks which make it unique among Minnetonka’s varied shores.